Lock-switch.



J F. CAVANAGH.

LOCK SWITCH.

APPLlCATlOxl FILED MAR.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

INVENTOR TTS PATENT -FF1 2.

JQHZ? E. 'GAVANAGH, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR .TO CONNECTICUT TELE- PHQNE {it ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF IVLERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 033 coimso'rrcu'r.

LOCK-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Feb. 11, 1191 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN F. OAvANAqn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Meriden, Conn., have invented a new and useful Lock-Switch, of which the following is a specification.

y present-invention relates to what are generally known as lock switches, particularly for use on motor vehicles, which are designed to be locked or rendered inoperative when the machine is left unattended.

The objects of the invention generally are to provide a switch of this character of simple, inexpensive and entirely practical'construction. 1

Another object is to combine the locking and controlling functions all in a single member so that by means of a single con- 1 t'roller? the switch may be operated to open or close the circuit or may be locked or rendered entirely inoperative.

Briefly stated, the invention resides in the combination with a suitable supporting base and circuit contacts mounted thereon, of a plunger or operating member having a certain limited movement on the base for controlling the circuit contacts and adapted to be entirely removed and separated from the base for the purpose of rendering the switch inoperative. In connection with said plunger there may be provided a thermostatically controlled latch for holding the plunger ina predetermined position and the invention embodies various other features and substantially on the planes of the lines 33 and 4 -4 respectively of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5, is a, detail view of the detachable operating key or plunger.

The switch illustrated is a so-called automatic ignition switch of the character disclosed in my Patent #1232358 consisting.

generally of a relatively stationary contact 6 and a spring contact 7 the latter being forced into engagement with the former by means of an operating key'or plunger 8 which plunger is normally retained in the circuit-closed position by means of a thermostatic bar 9 which, when the circuit is left in closed condition, is warped through the action of a heating coil 10 engaged thereabout to release the plunger and thus permit the spring contact to separate from the sta tionary contact. Thisheating coil may be cut into circuit automatically by means of a primary heating coil 11 connected 'in the ignition circuit and coiled about thethermostatic bar 12 which, as it becomesheated due to thecontinued closed condition of the ignition circuit,.makes engagement with a con details of construction all as will later ap sl lpporting the plunger within a bushing 14' pear.

5 In the accompanying drawing 1 have illustrated the invention embodied in a practical commercial form but would have it understood that changes' and modifications may beindulged in without departure from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

In said drawing Figure 1, is a vertical sectional vie'w of 7 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig.2, is aview of the switch mechanism with the side wall of the switch casing removed.

\ Figs. 3 and a are sectional views taken and i by detachably securing this bushing base for the switch parts. The limited cir-' cuit-controlling movements of the plunger are provided for by the shoulders l7-and 18 on the plunger which limit the movements of said plunger within the tubular bushing 14. The lower shoulder 18 in the present disclosure is beveled to cooperate with a beveled lug 19 on the end of the themostatic bar 9. The double bevel or inclination of this shoulder 18, as illustrated, enables the plunger being shifted either inward or outward against the tension of'the thermostatlc latchiug bar 99nd at the same time enables said 7 I formed in the supporting bushing.

latching bar to yieldingly hold the plunger in either of the positions to which it may be shifted.

The supporting bushing 14: is removably secured in place in the present disclosure by a hairpin spring 20 engaged about the tubular guide 15 and with the spring arms thereof extending in through slots 21 in the sides of said tubular guide into position to engage in an annular locking groove 22 The lower end of the supporting bushing is preferably beveled as indicated at 23 to spread the spring arms apart as the key is being inserted in the switch and the lower shoulder or edge of the groove 22 in the bushing may be beveled somewhat as indicated at 24 to facilitate the removal of the plunger.

When theplunger is engaged in its seat in the switch as in Fig. 1, it may be shifted either out or in to open or close the circuit at will. If left in the circuiflclosed position and the circuit is closed at other'points, the latching thermostat will operate to automatically release the plunger and thus permit separation of the circuit contacts. If it is desired to look the switch inoperative, it is merely necessary to pull the switch plunger and its supporting bushing "out of its socket, leaving the switch contacts separated, with no means for. bringing them into closed relation. The key plunger, with its associated bushing, is relatively light and sniall and so can easily be carried about. vVifhen it is desired to close the circuit again,

' the plunger is simply forced to its seat 1n the socket provided therefor and when thus engaged in its socket may be shifted to either the open or the closed circuit position. In

inserting the plunger the upper shoulder 17 on said plunger acts as anabutment for forcing the bushing down into the tubular guide or socket, and in removing the plunger the lower shoulder 18, serves as an abutment engaging the lower end of the bushing to carry the bushing along with the plunger.

. The various parts of the switch maybe suitably mounted within the supporting base 16 and the necessary circuit terminals will be provided therefor. In the illustra- 'tion there is provided one terminal 25 for the primary heating coil 11, and another terminal 26 for the spring contact 7, one end of the rimary heating coil is connected with the t ermostatic bar -12 on which it is mounted, asindicated-at 27 and said bar is directly connected with the stationary contact 6, as shown. in Fig. 4' so that under normal working conditions the ignition cir- Cult- W111 be completed by way of terminal 25,-pr1mary heatlng coil 11, thermostatic bar 12, stationary cont 0t 6, spring contact 7' and terminal 26. l the circuit remains closed for a dangerous length of time, as

predetermined upon, coil 11 heats the bar 12 sufficiently to cause it.to make contact with the terminal 13 for the secondary heatup the thermostatic bar 9 to such an extent as to cause sald bar to release the plunger and allow the spring contact to separate lar bushing 29 set in the rear wall of the box or casing 16, there being a spring 30 coiled about said bushing and engaged between the inner wall of the box'and an abut= ment washer 31 at the contact end of said. contact screw 13. This spring, acting as it does against the inner wall of the box, serves to retain the bushing in place, which is entered from the outside of the box and at the same time acts frictionally to hold the mg coil 10, which latter then quickly heats contact screw in its adjusted position. The

outward end of the contact screw may be slotted, as indicated, or otherwise constructed for engagement by an adjusting tool such as a screwdriver, so that the point at which themain thermostatic bar 12 will close circuit through the unlatching heating coil -may be readily determined.

The invention will from the foregoing be seen to possess many advantages, particularly in the ease with which the switch may be locked or rendered inoperative and again be made operative and controlled as desired.

The open side of the switch casing may be closed by a suitable cover such as that indi-, cated at 32, having flanges 33 engaged over ribs or flanges 34 at the edge of the casing.

I. claim: I

1. In a switch of the character described, a supporting base, -circuit"controlling contacts on said base, a removable operating member for said contacts, a support for said operating member readily removable from the supporting base and arranged when engaged on the supporting base to permit movement of the'operating member for the opening and closing of the circuit through the switch contacts and means for detachably securing said support for the operating member on the supporting base, whereby said support and the operating member carried thereby may be entirely detached from the supporting base, and whereby when said support is engaged with the supporting base the operatingmember may be actuated to operate the switch contacts. for opening or closing the circuit, and means whereby the operating member may be left in position with the contacts in open or closed circuit position. i

2. In combination, switch contacts, :1 Supporting bushing, a plunger for controlling the switch contacts slidably engaged in the bushing, a socket for the bushing and means for yieldingly securing said bushing in the socket.

3. In combination, switch contacts, a supporting bushing having a locking shoulder on the side thereof, a contact controlling plunger slidably mounted in the bushing and having shoulders for engagement with the opposite ends of the bushing, a socket for supporting the bushing with the plunger carried. thereby in operative relation to the switch contacts, and securing means engaged with the shoulder on the bushing.

4:. In combination, switch contacts, a plunger for controlling said.contacts, a removable bushing for'supporting the plunger in operative relation to the contacts, and spring means for yieldingly and removably securing said bushing in such position.

5. Incombination, a switch base provided with a socket, contacts mounted on said base, a bushing removably engageable in said socket, spring means engaging said bushing to yieldingly retain the same in the socket, a plunger slidably engaged in the bushing for controlling the switch contacts, and shoulders on the plunger for engagement with opposite ends of the bushing to limit the switch operating movements of the plunger, and arranged to form abutments for the bushing when the bushing is inserted in or removed from the socket by means of the plunger.

6. Tn combination, switch contacts, a tubular guide, a hairpin spring embracing said "tubular guide and having one arm thereof projecting within the guide, a bushing engageable within the tubular guide and provided with an annular groove to receive the inwardly projecting spring arm aforesaid, and a contact controlling plunger having a limited sliding movement within the bushing.

7. "As an article'of manufacture, a supporting bushing having an annular locking groove therein for engagement by securing means and a switch controlling plunger having a limited sliding 'movement in said bushing.

8. The combination in a switch, of :1 casing, an interiorly threaded post passed through said casing from the outside to the inside thereof, a contact screw rotatably engaged in' said tubular post at the inside of the casing and provided with means at its outer end for engaging with an operating tool, and a coil spring engaged about the tubular post between the inner wall of the casing and the inner end of the contact screw to frictionally retain said screw in the position to which it is adjusted from the ing bushing having limited sliding movement thereon and provided with a locking shoulder for engagement with a locking de-.

vicewhen said plunger with its bushing is pushed into a seat in a switch.

10. In a switch of the character described, a supporting base having a tubular guide, a bushing removably engaged in said guide, a plunger having a limited sliding movement in the bushing, circuit controlling contacts on the base positioned to be controlled by the plunger in the push-and-pull movements thereof and spring means for yieldingly securing the bushing in the tubular guide therefor and arranged to yield on the application of a pulling force to the plunger to enable the plunger and attached bushing being entirely withdrawn from the base.

'JOHN F. QAVANAGH. 

